Latch knitting needle and method of forming



Feb. 27, 1962l B. T. VIRTUE LATCH KNITTING NEEDLE AND METHOD OF FORMING Filed Jan. 8, 1958 FIG.

BYRON T. VIRTUE INVENTOR BYM/ M4,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,ll22,65il LATCH KNIITEIG NEEDLE AND DHTHOD F FQRMNG Byron T. Virtue, Litchiield, Conn., assignor to The Torriagton Company, Torrington, Conn.5 a corporation of Maine Filed Ian. 8, 1953, Ser. No. 707,714 6 Claims. (Cl. 66122) The invention to which the following specication relates is in an improved latch needle for machine knitting, and in a novel method by which the needle is lformed or assembled.

The usual method of pivoting a latch in a knitting needle is to drill the shank of the needle transversely and apply some sort of fastening through the needle transversely. This gives rise to surface irregularities in the dat sides of the needle. There is also the ditliculty that such a fastening may become dislodged and make the needle nnserviceable.

With this invention it is possible to make a needle which will have continuously dat sides completely devoid of surface irregularities.

One of the objects of lthis invention is to simplify the structure of the usual latch needle.

A further object of the invention is to make a latch needle in which the sides of the shank are continuous and not weakened by any transverse drilling and furthermore will have no fastening which can be dislodged laterally.

Among the objects of my invention is to simplify production by avoiding the necessity of drilling the sides of the shank.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a better bearing engagement between `the retaining member and the latch.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred form as illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine knitting needle;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the same;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l showing the parts in place but not tina ly assembled, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged 'transverse cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Briefly speaking, the invention consists in providing a fastening or bearing for the latch between the straight sides of the normal slot in the shank of the needle. This is accomplished without drilling the shank transversely or introducing a bearing member which must be driven across the needle and then fastened Without risk of projecting.

In carrying out the invention the retaining or bearing member may be distorted so that it increases in diameter and forms a iirm pivot on which the latch can move. As thus assembled the retaining member is secured by being welded permanently to the inner side walls of the slotted shank.

The method by which this structure is assembled is also believed to be patentably novel in that a closer engagement can be provided between the bearing or retaining member and the shank than is usually the case and the fastening of retaining member by welding produces a better article and one that is more durable.

As shown in the drawings, the needle shank 6 is formed in the-usual shape with dat imperforate side walls. lt is important that these side walls need not be drilled transversely for a bearing member.

The needle slot is formed longitudinally as at 7 with walls pardel to the at side walls of the needle proper ice and Wider than the width of the latch. The needle, of course, is equipped with the usual hook 8.

A latch 9, also of usual construction, is provided for pivotal mounting in the lshank and engagement with the hook 8 as shown on FIG. 1 in dotted lines.

The latch 9 has a bore 10. It is to be noted that the width of the latch is noticeably less than the width of the slot 7 expanded as shown in FIG. 3

A retaining member or bearing member is shown by Way of example as a hardened metal ball 11. This ball is larger than the width of the slot 7. In assembly this will permit the ball 11 to be inserted rst in the bore 10 of the latch and the two `then slipped into the slot 7. lWhen so assembled the ball 11 will be held in place frictionally against the inner walls of the slot 7 as shown in FIG. 3.

The final step of assembly consists in pressing the shank 6 as shown in FIG. 4 so that the side walls of the slot 7 are brought into sliding engagement with the latch 9. This is shown in FIG. 4.

In the operation of constricting the sides of the shank 6, `the ball 11 may be distorted into the form of an ellipsoid as shown in FIG. 4. In the course of this operation the longer diameter of the ball approximates the diameter of the bore 1l). At the same tirne these sides of the ball are imbedded somewhat. As a result the bearing of the latch on the ball is more like that of a cylindrical bearing than of a spherical bearing.

Simultaneously with the constriction of the shank 6 or even subsequently, welding heat applied transversely through the shank 6 and the ball l1 will serve to weld the imbedded areas of the latter to the inner faces of the shank.

The operations by which the latch is installed within the needle are thus simplified over conventional methods of assembly.

The structure thus provides a needle shank of perfectly uniform :dat sides. The fastening between the ball 11 and the shank is permanent and immovable. The ball if distorted provides an increased close bearing tit Within the bore 10 of the latch 9.

While the preferred form of the invention has been thus illustrated, the invention is believed to be subject to extensive variation in materials, proportions and minor details without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claimtY 1. A latch needle comprising a shank having continuous imperforate flat sides, said shank having a central slot parallel to said sides, a latch having a transverse bore, and a separate deformed ball in the latch bore, permanently attached over an extended area to the side walls of the slot.

2. A latch needle comprising a -shank having continuous imperforate dat sides, said shank having a central slot parallel to said sides, a latch having a transverse bore and a separa-te ellipsoidal retainer in the latch bore, said retainer being attached by its ila-tter portions permanently over an extended area to the Walls of the slot.

3. A latch needle comprising a shank having continuous imperforate flat sides and a central longitudinal slot, a latch having a transverse bore, and an ellipsoidal retainer in the latch bore, said retainer being permanently attached by its flatter portions permanently to extended areas of the inner walls of the slot subs-tantially in the planes of the sides of the latch.

4. The method of assembling a latch needle having a slotted shank and a latch with a bore comprising seating a retaining member in the bore of the latch, spacing the retaining member within the slot of the shank pressing the sides of the shank into iirm engagement against the retaining member and expanding the latter into extended bearing contact with the bore.

5. The method of assembh'n-g a latch lneedle having Ya slotted shank and a latch with a here, comprising seating a. spherical retaining member in the bore of `the latch,

spacing the retaining member within the slot of the shank,

against the retaining member andV expanding the latter into,

bearingengagement with the bore of the latch and welding the flattened surfacesrof the retaining member to extended areas of the inner side surfaces of the shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,737 Meeh Apr; 28, V1914 v1,961,624 Schneider June 5, 1934 2,352,347 Scrantom June 27, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 711,841 Great Britain July 14, 1954 848,342 Germany Sept. 4, 1952 848,343V Germany Sept. 4, 1952 

